Packed weekend of activities at Ugie Folk Festival

Ugie Folk Club are busily gearing up for their annual festival which takes place this weekend.

This year’s festival boasts a wide range of entertainment to suit people of all ages.

All events are free of charge and open to all ages so there is sure to be something suitable for everyone in the family.

Following tradition, the festival kicks off tomorrow, on Friday, July 25 with a Festival Folk Night in Longside Football Social Club starting at 8pm.

On Saturday the Ugie Folk Club and Friends Concert runs from 1.30–3pm in the Aden Country Park Theatre

The free event is welcome to all.

In the evening, the Festival Grand Concert begins at 7.30pm in the Crichie Village Hall with the Ugie Wall Of Sound.

This year the club are delighted to welcome along champion fiddlers, George and Stuart Davidson .

The teenagers from Tarves have performed alongside Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain and are regulars at the Portsoy boat festival and have also performed in several folk groups and ceilidh bands.

The pair have won several Junior and Senior fiddle competitions across Scotland and are also both winners of the Instrumental section in the National School Robert Burns competition which attracts 160,000 school pupils every year.

Stuart is currently in fifth year at Meldrum Academy, while George who has just finished school is hoping to be accepted for an electrical engineering apprenticeship.

Local young fiddlers of the highest standard and well worth a listen.

Top of the bill are Bruce and Walker - Ian Bruce and Ian Walker.

Ian Walker sings and plays banjo, autoharp, guitar and percussion.

Over the years, his music has attracted awards for traditional singing at the Kinross and Thurso Festivals, for song writing at various clubs and festivals and for excellence from the Music Retailers Association (MRA) in London.

Recently, he was nominated for the British Country Music Association (BCMA) Awards in London.

Meanwhile, Ian Bruce has made quite a reputation for himself undertaking primary school workshops, on Burns, Ramsay and modern song-writing, throughout East Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway and South Lanarkshire.

Book your seats for the concert to avoid disappointment by calling Donald Russell on 07773 145778 or by emailing press_officer@ugiefolk.co.uk.

The original song writing competition will be held on Sunday, July 27 at 11am in the Longside Football Social Club.

Anyone looking to enter should note that songs must be original lyrics and written within the last 12 months. Of course entry is free and organisers are expecting a high standard of competition.

Running from 2pm in the same venue will be the Sunday Wind-Down Session where people can expect music, song and a guid “craic” to round off another festival.

Find out more by visiting ugiefolk.co.uk, by calling 01771 613352, 07773 145778 or by emailing press_officer@ugiefolk.co.uk.